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May 3, 2012

Heidi Cullinan: Character Interview with James Gibbs

The Pirate's Game.

Tell
us about the main character in your current book. What is he like?

The man at the center of The Pirate's
Game is, as one might assume, a pirate named James Gibbs. Quite probably
he's the love child of Captain Jack Hartness of Doctor Who and Torchwood
and Captain Jack Sparrow if the latter sobered up. In his world piracy is so
organized there are several different kinds with their own turfs and rules of
conduct, and he's one of the northern pirates' most cheeky captains. He gets
the job put in front of him done, but he'll make a profit on the side and
probably talk you into bed before you realize it's happened while he's waiting
for his next cargo to load. Probably your friends too.

If
your main character was here today, what would he say is his strongest point?

He'd grin like a leacher and tell you his
point is very strong indeed, and he'd love to give you a personal demonstration.

Does
he think he has a weakness? (If so, what does he think it is? What does his
lover think it is? What does his enemy think it is?)

He knows exactly what his weakness is, which
is caring about someone who can be hurt. That's exactly what his enemy thinks
it is, and they've already used it against him. His next lover is a little
harder to hurt, though, though he does come with some interesting strings.

What
drives your hero to do the things he does? What makes him want to be the
"good guy?"

Captain Gibbs has seen enough of the world
and the pain it can bring to want to put things right where he can though also
within reason. He takes care of his men and his ship, and he's smart about who
he steals from and what he takes, but he knows he can't keep everyone happy and
all the scales balanced. He's a realist, but he has a hopefully romantic heart
beneath it all too. I think part of him hopes he can save the world someday
even though he knows better.

What's
your main character's favorite guilty pleasure?

He likes all pleasure, and he's not guilty
about anything. Outside of sex, though, I think his most surprising indulgence
would be a ravenous appetite for chocolate. That's not present in this book,
but I promise you it's still there.

If you didn't know how old you were how old
would you be?

Twelve. A very randy twelve.

A
biography has been written about you. What do you think the title would be in
six words or less?

James Gibbs, Randy Bastard

If
money were not an object, where would you most like to live?

Ach, at the Ring, lass, though it'd be
better if you came to stay with me.

Picture
yourself as a store. Considering your personality and lifestyle, what type of
products would be sold there?

In the front, the best and hardiest supplies
for a long journey at sea, probably all stolen and sold to you at criminal
markup. In the back, the dildos and straps enough to make a whore blush, and
plenty of those in both genders to make the blushing that much more fun.

As
a child, what was your favorite thing about school?

That there wasn't any.

Tell
us an embarrassing story that has to do with a pet. If you have no pets, a
story about a significant other will do. ^_^

Not so much for pets at sea. They start to
look too tasty when w'been gone too long. There was this first mate once a'fore
I was captain who liked to roll his trousers under his great belly while we was
sailing if it got too hot. His arse weren't unpleasant t'look at, so I did my
fair share o'peeking when the waist drifted south an' he couldn't let go of the
lines and put matters to rights. But like I said, sometimes at sea food runs
out or goes scarce, and while fat bellies grow tauter during a famine, trousers
don't give a damn. Let's just say I was more than happy to be in the front when
those knickers came down, and after I saw what the first mate had to offer, I
made it my business to get a lot better acquainted with both his back and front
sides.

If
you came with a warning label, what would it say?

Nothing, because I'd be certain to have it
removed. Though I wouldn't object to being labeled "Warning: Great
Pleasure in Store."

James Gibbs fills in the blanks...

I love pizza* with you.

I'm always ready for *chuckles
suggestively*.

When I'm alone, I try not to think about
the past.

If I had a halo it would be twisted into
a pretzel and sold.

If I could erase the Cloister from ever
existing I'd do it in a heartbeat
.

I can never go back to South
Maidras because of what happened with that trio of dancing
girls and their manager. But ah, lass, it was fun.

About the Author

Heidi Cullinan

Heidi Cullinan lives in Iowa. She’s always loved a good love story,
provided it has a happy ending. She enjoys writing across many genres but loves
above all to write happy, romantic endings for LGBT characters because there
just aren’t enough of those stories out there. When she isn’t writing, Heidi
enjoys knitting, reading, movies, TV shows on DVD, and all kinds of music. She
has a husband, a daughter, and too many cats.

Her most recent release is The Pirate's Game, a fantasy
about love triangles (and quadrilaterals) while giving chase and braving fierce
battles on the high seas. The Pirate's Game is the third book in the first
Etsey trilogy.

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